Report Eduardo Ferreira

Photo Guilherme Cruz

WEC featherweight Champion Jose Aldo revealed to TATAME that he has been offered a fight against Kenny Florian, in which he’d move up to fight Kenny Florian, in December. According to the fighter, his managers declined the bout. “They made the proposal. I wanna fight, it can be at WEC or in the UFC”, he told TATAME. With the negative, Aldo will face Mark Hominick in January, while Kenny Florian fights Evan Duham at UFC 126. Check below an exclusive interview with Aldo, made last Monday, when he hadn’t mentioned the Florian fight yet.

You are coming from an excellent win on the United States. How was the repercussion of this win?

Thanks God everything worked out, our game plan worked, so I was glad about it. I got there two weeks earlier because of the height, we’ve finished the trainings there because of the height but things turned out to be just fine. I was very focused on the day, so I could get there and do a good fight.

How were the Americans with you? How was the repercussion?

People like us try to get there in a good shape so that I can have a good performance, so the repercussion has always been great.

Just like with Anderson, people say that on your division there are no more challenges to you. What do you think about it?

I see some more challenges. Like I’ve said before, I’m just an employee, so I fight against whoever they tell me to. I can fight anybody, I respect all fighters, so there’re many fighters I can fight. Many people speculate about the possibility of changing divisions, but it’s up to Dedé (André Pederneiras), Joinha and Ed… Whatever they think is best for me, we’ll do.

There was a time when you fought on the division above yours, but then you stepped back. Why didn’t you stay on the heavier division?

Actually I’ve starter on a lighter division, then changed to this one and tried the division above, but it’s up to Dedé and he knows better. When I was fighting on the division above he thought there were many people of the gym on that division, and on my division there’s me and Marlon (Sandro) and I can play pretty hard on this one and I’m the champion, so I think it’s best for me to stay on this weight division.

Who do you think can be the next challenger to fight you for the belt?

We have a little time off now, but it’s just a little rest because I’ll have another belt defense in January and I think maybe it’ll be against Mark Hominick, who is great Canadian on KickBoxing. So, I’ll fight in January, but I still don’t know the date yet.

You are fighting a lot. Every two or three months you have a fight. Are you enjoying to fight that much in order to keep the good rhythm?

Yeah. The moment’s good so I think we have to take advantage of it. As the fight ends they ask me when I can fight again and Dedé says we need about three months for preparation… In January it’ll be three months later, so we’ll fight then.

 In case of victory, do you think about giving a try on a heavier division just to see how does it feel like, as Anderson Silva did?

Well, for now I’m much focused on my belt defense, and if God helps me we’ll get a win, but we do think about it, not only because of this fight, but also because of the previous ones and because the Americans want to see it, but it’s not up to me… If Dana wants to put me there, we’ll fight.

As for now, are you taking a time off, helping your training partners? What are you up to?

I got here last week and I’m helping my teammates, it’s good for the union of the group. I took a week off on the United States, but I’m back and I’m helping my friends…  We stand back for each other so that we keep ourselves on the top.